1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention is belt-type continuously variable transmissions comprising an input shaft connected to an engine and driven by the engine, an output shaft disposed in parallel to the input shaft and connected to driving wheels, a drive pulley comprised of a stationary pulley half and a movable pulley half which are carried on the input shaft, a driven pulley comprised of a stationary pulley half and a movable pulley half which are carried on the output shaft, and an endless belt connecting the drive pulley and the driven pulley, the stationary and movable pulley halves of the pulleys being arranged in a diagonal relationship with one another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a belt-type continuously variable transmission is conventionally known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.47560/88.
In the above prior art belt-type continuously variable transmission, the drive pulley mounted on the input shaft and the driven pulley mounted on the output shaft are interconnected by the endless belt, and the input and output shafts are interconnected by a backward gear train. Thus, the output shaft is rotated in the same direction as the input shaft through both the pulleys by operation of the forward clutch and a hydraulic coupling serving as a starting clutch, while the output shaft is rotated in the opposite direction from the direction of rotation of the input shaft through the backward gear train by the operation of the backward clutch and the hydraulic coupling serving as the starting clutch.
However, the above prior art belt-type continuously variable transmission has a disadvantage that a space within a transmission case cannot be effectively utilized, resulting in an increased size of the continuously variable transmission, because all of the hydraulic coupling, the starting clutch, the backward clutch and the backward gear train are disposed on one side of the drive and driven pulleys, and an oil chamber for moving the movable pulley half of the driven pulley is also disposed on the same side.